Trouble brews over ZFA constitution review

By The guardian reporter

13th April 2012

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Hardly a day after the Isles deputy minister for Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, Bihindi Ali Hamad, announced a process of reviewing the Zanzibar Football Association’s constitution, the soccer body has faulted the initiative.

ZFA Vice-President Haji Ameir has surfaced and strongly challenged the Isles national sports council (BTMZ) as ineligible to carry on the exercise.

Ameir objected the move claiming the BMTZ should first acquire blessings from the ZFA executive committee before working on the constitutional reviews.

Ameir announced the challenge during a press conference held at the soccer association’s headquarters located at the Bwawani Hotel here yesterday.

The ZFA official said his body has been shocked by the move initiated by the ministry through the sports council while there has been a violation of the constitution last amended in 2010.

He said ZFA secretariat is responsible to make constitutional amendments and there is no other organ that can hijack the responsibility at any degree.

The constitutional reviews are being carried out without consulting officials of the football association at the district level, complained Ameir.

“All matters pertaining to changes, additions or rectifications of the current constitution are versed with the ZFA and not BMTZ,” said Ameir.

He said BMTZ has violated potential and fundamental etiquettes that might likely ignite another wrangle in the football matters in Zanzibar.

Ameir said BMTZ chairperson must work closely with the ZFA leadership panel and not alone in the whole procedures of amending the constitution.

The ZFA boss said the BMTZ has not singled out or identify where in particular the ZFA constitution has fault while it approved the amendments in 2010.

Ameir said the ZFA general election has been conducted last year and whoever needs to aspire for any post is advised to be patient until 2015 but not to make interference to the leadership which has been installed through democratic process.

“The Government should be aware with officials who are intending to create confusion through bypassing legal procedures as underlined by both CAF and FIFA,” barked Ameir during the press conference yesterday.

Ameir faulted BMTZ as the organ now heading to brew a fresh crisis through spoiling the current serenity prevailing in the football body.

“You need a permission to clean up ones house however dirty or filthy it might look, otherwise trouble is likely to erupt,” said Ameir blasting the BMTZ initiative.

The ZFA official said his body will be forced to protest to CAF and later FIFA should the BMTZ carry on interfering with the football association’s affairs.

The deputy minister had announced inside the House of Representative early this week the initiative of collecting views for amendments of the ZFA constitution aimed at ironing out squabbles inside the association.

ZFA leaders have been frequently blamed for creating an ambiance that has been keeping them in power despite holding democratic election.

The association’s president Ali Ferej Tamim, who is now in sick leave, has been in power for over two decades.